1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to phenyl substituted carboxylic acids and more specifically to such compounds that are useful in the treatment of syndrome X (consisting of such abnormalities as obesity, dyslipidemia, hypercoagulation, hypertension, insulin resistance and leading to heart disease and diabetes), obesity, diabetes, immunological disease, bleeding disorders and/or cancer. More specifically, it relates to such compounds that are capable of inhibiting Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs), in particular Protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP-1B) which is a negative regulator of the insulin and leptin signaling pathway and improves insulin-sensitivity.
2. Description of the Related Art
This invention relates to a class of heterocycle substituted carboxylic acids that are inhibitors of various PTPs, in particular PTP-1B.
Protein tyrosine phosphatases are a large family of transmembrane or intracellular enzymes that dephosphorylate substrates involved in a variety of regulatory processes (Fischer et al., 1991, Science 253:401-406). Protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP-1B) is an approximately 50 kd intracellular protein, which is present in abundant amounts in various human tissues (Charbonneau et al., 1989, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:5252-5256; Goldstein, 1993, Receptor 3:1-15).
Determining which proteins are substrates of PTP-1B has been of considerable interest. One substrate which has aroused especial interest is the insulin receptor. The binding of insulin to its receptor results in autophosphorylation of the domain. This causes activation of the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase, which phosphorylates the various insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins that propagate the insulin signaling event further downstream to mediate insulin's various biological effects.
Seely et al., 1996, Diabetes 45:1379-1385 (“Seely”) studied the relationship of PTP-1B and the insulin receptor in vitro. Seely constructed a glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion protein of PTP-1B that had a point mutation in the PTP-1B catalytic domain. Although catalytically inactive, this fusion protein was able to bind to the insulin receptor, as demonstrated by its ability to precipitate the insulin receptor from purified receptor preparations and from whole cell lysates derived from cells expressing the insulin receptor.
Ahmad et al., 1995, J. Biol. Chem. 270:20503-20508 used osmotic loading to introduce PTP-1B neutralizing antibodies into rat KRC-7 hepatoma cells. The presence of the antibody in the cells resulted in an increase of 42% and 38%, respectively, in insulin stimulated DNA synthesis and phosphatidyinositol 3′ kinase activity. Insulin receptor autophosphorylation and insulin receptor substrate-1 tyrosine phosphorylation were increased 2.2 and 2.0-fold, respectively, in the antibody-loaded cells. The antibody-loaded cells also showed a 57% increase in insulin stimulated insulin receptor kinase activity toward exogenous peptide substrates.
Kennedy et al., 1999, Science 283: 1544-1548 showed that protein tyrosine phosphatase PTP-1B is a negative regulator of the insulin signaling pathway, indicating that inhibitors of this enzyme are beneficial in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes, which appears to involve a defect in an early process in insulin signal transduction rather than a structural defect in the insulin receptor itself. (J. M. Olefsky, W. T. Garvey, R. R. Henry, D. Brillon, S. Matthai and G. R. Freidenberg, G. R. (1988).) Cellular mechanisms of insulin resistance in non-insulin-dependent (Type II) diabetes. (Am. J. Med. 85: Suppl. 5A, 86-105.) A drug that improved insulin sensitivity would have several advantages over traditional therapy of NIDDM using sulfonylureas, which do not alleviate insulin resistance but instead compensate by increasing insulin secretion.
Ragab et al (2003, J. Biol. Chem 278(42), 40923-32) showed that PTP 1B is involved in regulating platelet aggregation. Hence, inhibition of PTP 1B can be predicted to have an effect on bleeding disorder, and cardiovascular disease.
Romsicki et al., (2003, Arch Biochem. Biophys 414(1), 40-50) showed that TC PTP is structurally and functionally very similar. A PTP 1B inhibitor is very likely to also inhibit TC PTP. A knockout of the TC PTP gene produces a phenotype with impaired immune function. (You-Ten et al., 1997, J. Exp. Med. 186(5), 683-93). Hence, inhibitors of PTP 1B can be predict to inhibit TC PTP and modulate immune response.
It has also been demonstrated that PT-P1B is a negative regulator of leptin signaling (Kaszua et al. Mol Cell. Endocrinology, 195:109-118, 2002). PTP-1B deficient mice show enhanced potency for exogenous leptin to suppress food intake (Cheng, et al. Developmental Cell 2:497-503, 2002). Thus, inhibitors of PTP-1B augment the beneficial effects of leptin on food intake, body weight regulation and metabolism, in normal individuals and leptin resistant individuals.
Therefore, inhibitors of PTPs, and inhibitors of PTP-1B in particular, are useful in controlling or treating obesity, syndrome X, Type 2 diabetes, in improving glucose tolerance, and in improving insulin sensitivity in patients in need thereof. Such compounds are also useful in treating or controlling other PTP mediated diseases, such as the treatment of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, immunological disorders, bleeding and cardiovascular disorders, and the like.